 Nicola Draper founder Draper Hinks |
Hello, I’m Nicola Draper. I run Draper Hinks and have done so since 2004. We sell only accountancy fees and I am excited to announce that, since inception, we have completed over 370 deals.
We are very proud of our track record and our reputation. Please feel free to contact me anytime at n.draper@draperhinks.co.uk with any questions. |
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DON’T PUT IN JUST ONE OFFER
In my experience accountants are very creative when it comes to thinking about buying a practice. If we are selling an accountancy practice and there are four interested buyers who all put in an offer, they will all be different.
Don’t be afraid of putting in different options ie if the payment term is longer then adjust the multiple to take into account the extra time frame the vendor has to wait for full payment. If the time taken from offer to completion has to be shortened, then reduce the multiple. Buyers can come up with all sorts of different options, let the vendor decide the most attractive to them. Don’t be limited to just one offer. Some buyers put in up to four different options.
Practices for Sale
| Reference | Area | Amount | Description |
| w/537/220818 | Kincardineshire | £128,000 | Vendor retiring. Top 10 clients total £79,383. Leased office available if required. 3 staff. |
| w/542/220901 | County Durham | £101,393 | Vendor retiring. Premises available if required. 1 part-time staff. Buyer needs to be Chartered or Chartered Certified. Top 10 clients total £27,251. Mtgs with vendor 27th September. |
| w/543/220907 | Essex | £150,000 | Vendor semi-retiring – wants to work part-time with buyer if possible. No premises. 1 full time AAT qualified staff. Buyer needs to be Chartered or Chartered Certified. Top 10 clients total £38,465. Mtgs with vendor 6th October |
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This is a case study from a practice we sold in 2021:- |
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| Fees sold | £265,000 | Where | Surrey |
| Qualified | ACA | Age | 62 |
| Time scale | 5 months | Type of Practice | Sole Practitioner |
| Payment | 3 tranches | How paid | 50%, 25%, 25% |
| Multiple | 1.2 x fees | When paid | Comp, 12 months, 24 months |
| Offers | 2 offers | Office & staff | Office and staff retained |
| Results | Vendor is sorting out his vast record collection and continues to add to it | ||
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Here are two testimonials from previous vendors:- |
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| Testimonial 1
I have received Newsletters over the years from Draper Hinks. I liked the feedback on the Newsletters from clients that gave me a very good impression. They have been very helpful and supportive. The advice I received before meeting any buyers was fantastic. I was able to ask questions I would not even have thought of. I never felt as if I was on my own. Draper Hinks provided guidance, assistance and experience. I am now looking forward to having more free time, playing a bit more golf, and having time to travel without having to think about having to rush back to the office. Vendor – Nick Maughan FCA Berkshire |
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| Testimonial 2
Draper Hinks sent me a Newsletter. We found them to be really informative and helpful. Our first impression was that they were very professional and knowledgeable. We were very impressed with the care shown that made us feel very reassured. The advice and assistance from Draper Hinks was invaluable, particularly the briefing before meeting with the buyers. We have now set up a new small business which is much more manageable. Vendor – Jan Kavanagh FCA Oxfordshire |
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Income Multiples Paid in the last 12 months
| 2021 | Quarter | Average income multiple paid | Lowest income multiple paid | Highest income multiple paid | Lowest income multiple offered | Highest income multiple offered |
| Quarter 3 | Jul – Sep | 0.995 | 0.6 (1 pmt) | 1.25 | 0.5 (1 pmt) | 1.25 |
| Quarter 4 | Oct – Dec | 0.9475 | 0.8 | 1.25 | 0.8 | 1.25 |
| 2022 | ||||||
| Quarter 1 | Jan – Mar | 0.76 | 0.6 | 1.0 | 0.5 (1pmt) | *1.50 |
| Quarter 2 | Apr – Jun | 1.02 | 0.73 (1pmt) | 1.15 | 0.6 (1pmt) | 1.25 |
*1.5 x fees was offered but rejected because the “fit” was not good between buyer and seller.
NB None of the above figures are to be reproduced in any way without express permission from Nicola Draper.
Please check out our website www.draperhinks.com where you can:-
- Download our Guide to Selling and Buying Fees by registering for our eBook.
- View lots of video testimonials.
- Read our monthly Blogs that give regular market commentary.
Next step
If you are looking to purchase and would like further information on how we may be able to help you, please email us on info@draperhinks.co.uk